Golf-game apparatus



April 7,, 1931. I R. SWAIN ET AL GOLF GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORS L 5W0? are:

ATTRNEY 1-931. R. L. swAlN ET AL GOLE GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. fPqancyL 5W0? BY [1 a .Maar:

AT'TORNEY mN Sam April 7, 1931. R. L. SWAIN ET AL GOLF GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N VEN TOR3.

%\ Q wk \w Pop 176 L. 5140/); BY M/ a fififoarc ATTbRNEY Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE RODNEY II. SWAIN AND WILMA A MOORE, F TULSA, OKLAHOMA eons-emu APPARATUS Application filed September 14,: 1928. Serial No. 306,025.

Our invention relates to indoor golf game apparatus and more particularly to a device of that character including in miniature, the principal re uisite features of an. outdoor course; name y a teeing platform from which the balls are played, a matted floor extending outwardly from the platform and corresponding to a fairway and an inclined portion at the outer end of the floor having holes for receiving the balls and corresponding to the putting green of an outdoor course. The rincipal object of our invention is to provide a teeing mechanism under the teeing platform for selectively teeing the balls in playing position, and means for auto-.

matically returning and arranging the balls with relation to the teeing mechanism in their original arranged order of play. I

Another object of our invention is to provide electrically operated scoring mechanism for indicating the respective score values of balls entering holesin the putting green.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of this character so designed that it may be compactly folded for shipping purposes and readily assembled and ad usted for preferred playing conditions.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention we have provided improved details of structure the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of our improved apparatus.

Fig. 2 1s a central section through the tee box particularly illustratingthe ball teeing mechanism.

' Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section throu h the form.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionthrough the inclined portion of the device taken on-the line 5-5, Fig. 4, showing the switch mechanism serving the upper row of holes.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section through a pair of the holes showing in detail the switch mechanism for the holes.

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view of the teeing mechanism taken on the line 77, Fig. 2.

I Fi 8 is a detail perspective view of the slida le teeing socket and the guard plate coptrolling the opening from the conveyor tu e. I I

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the indicator box with the lid removed, and a'diagrammatic view of the electric connection to two of the lamp bulbs. V

.. Referring in detail to the drawings:

The apparatus comprises three main units, a teeing platform 1, a longitudinal floor or fairway 2 and a perforated member or putting green 3. The floor-2 is sup-ported at in incline on adjustable standards 4, its lower end abutting against the rear wallof the teeing platform. The putting green unit is supported at a greater degree of incline relative to that of the floor on adjust-- able standards 5, its lower end abutting against, and bein su ported from, the elevated end of the t oor y brackets 6. Posts 7 bordering the sides and rear end of the ball course support a canvas or shield 8 extending sufliciently above the course to prevent balls from leaving the play ground, the height of the posts corresponding to the incline of the fairway and putting green. Mounted on the rear posts 7 and above theputting green is an electrically controlled scoring mechanism 9, all of the several units to be presently more fullv described.

The teeing platform 1 comprises a rectangular box having a bottom 10, side walls 11, front and rear walls 12 and 13 respectively, an intermediate transverse wall 14 and a a teeing mechanism including spaced vertical angles 16 having-flan es 17 and 18, the flanges 17 being fixed as y weldin .to the intermediate wall 14 and the space flanges 19 mounted t erebetween. The elevator includes a body portion 20 provided with :1. preferably square aperture 21' for receiving a vei'tical guide rod 22 having a cross section hinged cover 15. Contained within the box is J '18 servin as ide rails for a teeing elevator complementary to the aperture 21 and morticed in recesses 23 and 24 in the bottom 10 and cover 15 of the platform. Extending inwardly from the body portion and to the rear of the aperture 21 is a shank 25 for carrying a flexible cylindrical tee 26 attached thereto as by a screw 27 inserted through its closed lower end. Screw threadedly fixed in the shank and projecting laterally therefrom is a pin 28 engaging an elongated slot 29 in a gate 30 provided further with a lower flange 31. Ordinarily the flange 31 rests on the bottom 10, an aperture 32 in the flange aligning with the aperture 21 in the elevator 19 mounted immediately above it, both receiving the guide rod 22.

An aperture 33 of suificient diameter to receive the flexible tee and aligning therewith is provided in the cover 15. Surrounding the aperture 33 is a mat 34 equivalent to a patch of turf and supported by the cover 15.

Balls 35are delivered to the tee by a conduit 36 later to be described, its forward end being fitted into an opening 37 in the intermediate wall 14, the opening 37 being closed by the gate 30 with the tee in elevated position.

Means for raising the elevator and projecting a ball above the surface of the turf, i. e.,

teeing the ball, include an inclined post 38 provided with a lateral arm 39 and supported in a bracket 40 secured to the front wall 2 of the platform. A cable 41 having one end fastened to the outer end of the arm 39 and its other end secured to the elevator is passed over a pulley block 42 fixed to the lower face of the cover 15. Rocking of the post effected bv the wheel 43 elevates the balls to position for playing.

The upward limit of travel of the elevator the teeing platform comprises a pair of cor.

sections preferably of wood and joined togetherby hinges such as.46. The end of the section adjacent the platform is provided with guide rails 47 converging from the outer edges of the ball course towards a central point thus leading returning balls to an opening 48 extending through the floor and communicating with the conduit 36. The surface of the fairway is covered with a mat 49 continuing also over the green and a transverse hazard 50 such as a crumpled strip of'carpet is placed thereon to produce a more rgalistic course.

The putting green 3 includes an upper floor 51 attached to the fairway floor by the brackets 6, and is provided with a plurality of transverse rows of openings 52, each row preferably differing in number of openings from any other row. A sub-floor 53 spaced from the floor 51 and in parallel relation thereto but extending beyond the rear end thereof, tapers towards its lower end, the sub-floor and a peripheral upstanding flange 54 fastened to the posts 7 and floor 51 constituting a receptacle for the balls entering any of the openings 52 or falling over the rear edge of the floor 51. The conver ing flanges on the tapered end of the su%- floor lead the received balls into the mouth 55 of the conduit 36 supported at its rear end by the flange 54.

In order to more readily discern which row of openings a ball has entered, in addition to advising the relative scoring value of that row we provide the scoring mechanism 9 responsive to the action of switches 56 mounted adjacent one, or between a pair of openings 52 as required. A switch 56 as particularly illustrated in Fig. 6 comprises a cylindrical socket 57 of non-conductive material having a peripheral flange 58 integral therewith and at an angle thereto so that when the flange is mounted on the lower face of the inclined floor 51 the socket will extend perpendicularly downward. The lower end of the socket is slotted, leaving ears 59 between which is pivotally mounted an upstanding ear 60 of a lever 61. The upper arcuate edge of the ear 60 supports the curved lower end 62 of a movable contact 63 reciprocable in the socket 57 and having a stem portion 64 provided with a head 65. Diametrically opposite contact screws 66 extend transversely through the socket wall so that their inner ends are spaced sufficiently to prevent contact with the stem portion 64 but allow contact with the head when the movable contact is in lower position.

The lever 61 attached at its center to the ear 60 to normally balance, aligns with a pair of openings 52 and its length is equal to the opposed outer peripheries of said pair of openings. When a ball enters an opening and drops on one end of the lever the resulting rocking motion permits the contact 63 to move downwardly, its head 65 establishinga circuit through the contact points 66.

The scoring mechanism 9 includes an inclosed rectangular housing having a series of openings 67' in its front wall corresponding in number to the rows of openings in the green 3, and each providedwith a transparent lens 68. The housing is divided into upper and lower compartments 69 and 70 respectively by a partition 71, the upper compartment 69 being subdivided by partitions 72 into divisions corresponding in number to the openings 67. Wires 75 and 76 leading from line wires 77 and 78 through switches 56 and to lamps 73 establish the circuit for lighting a lamp when its corresponding switch has been closed by a ball.

Indicia 79 on the transparent lens 68 indicate the relative score value of the hole a ball has entered.

Assuming the ap aratus to be constructed and assembled as escribed, the manner of play would be as follows:

A player provided with a golf club mounts the Iplatform, an operator taking his stand at t e wheel. The player strikes the ball,

trying to sink it in the row having a single hole, the object of the gamebeing to get the 1 lowest possible score and the score value of a hole being directly proportional to the number of holes in a row. After each strike 5 by the player the operator rocking the wheel projects another-ball above the turf. Balls failing to enter any of the holes either roll back over the fairway entering the conduit 36 through the opening 48 or dro over the rear edge of the green on the su -floor 53, being led into the mouth 55 of the conduit, such balls scoring relatively high comparative to balls entering the o nings in the green. A. ball dropping t rough a hole closes the adjacent switch flashing the corresponding lam and indicates the relative score value of t at ball. A predetermined number of balls is alotted each player and the one scoring the lowest number of points wins the me.

I hat we claim and desire to secure by Let- 'ters Patent is:

' Golf game apparatus including an inclined ball course comprising hingedly connected sections, means for adj ustably mounting and supporting said sections, a platform at one end of said ball course having anopening, a

- guide channel in said platform aligning with said opening, an elevator reciprocable in said 40 channel, a flexible tee on the elevator for projecting balls above the platform, a conduit for returning played balls to said channel, a stop plate reciprocable with the elevator 'for interrupting communication be I E tween the conduit and ,said channel, and means for adjustably limiting upward travel of said elevator.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

RODNEY L. SWAIN.

, WJLMA A. MOORE. 

